Effects of enriching IgG concentration in low-quality colostrum with colostrum replacer on IgG absorption in newborn Holstein calves

Newborn calves need to ingest maternal colostrum, which is rich in immunoglobulin G (IgG) content, to help them develop their naïve immune system. This requires calves to ingest high masses of IgG, generally above 100 g in the first hours of life. In addition to feeding high IgG masses to newborn calves, research suggests that low-quality colostrum (<50 g/L IgG) can be enriched with colostrum replacer in order to increase its IgG concentration. Recently, it was reported that enriching maternal colostrum with 30 g/L IgG concentration with colostrum replacer resulted in increased IgG absorption, with none of the calves experiencing failure of passive immune (FPI) transfer. As a result, enriching low-quality colostrum could lead to desirable passive immune transfer rates providing adequate total IgG mass to the calf without compromising its absorption. The enrichment of colostrum with colostrum replacer represents an alternative for dairy farms that produce low-quality colostrum. Thus, enriching low-quality colostrum with colostrum replacer will enable farms to achieve adequate passive immune transfer rates, which will benefit the short-term health of calves, and more importantly, improve long-term health implications by preventing illness early in life.

Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Steele

Student:

Partner:

Saskatoon Colostrum Company Ltd.

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Guelph

Program: